Volkswagen has added Goodyear to its list of approved tyre suppliers for the ID.3. The new electric car will wear Goodyear summer and winter tyres in a range of dimensions: The Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance in sizes 215/55 R18, 215/50 R19 and 215/45 R20, as well as Goodyear UltraGrip Performance and UltraGrip Performance+ winter tyres in sizes 215/55 R18 and 215/50 R19.
About a year ago Continental announced its selection as a tyre supplier to the ID.3, and under this arrangement is providing original equipment EcoContact 6 summer tyres, WinterContact TS 850P winter tyres and AllSeasonContact all-season tyres. But tyres are only one of a host of Continental products and technologies going into the new all-electric range. The company is also supplying computer equipment, brake technology, hose lines, heat pumps and driver assistance systems.
Hankook is supporting Volkswagen’s 20,000km tour of Germany to test the national fast-loading network. Starting in Germany winter sports town Oberstdorf, the VW ID.3 will visit more than 600 VW dealers and charging stations on the 65-day ID.3 Germany Tour, running on Hankook’s new Winter i*cept evo 3 UHP winter tyres. The tour concludes on the northern island of Sylt. The campaign vehicle fits 215/55 R18 99V XL tyres, and will be driven by Rainer Zietlow from CHALLENGE4 agency, a driver with significant experience in long-distance rides and holder of world records on all continents. He is accompanied by co-driver Dominic Brüner. VW’s tour includes visits to Hankook’s European headquarters in Neu-Isenburg near Frankfurt am Main and to the company’s European research and development centre in Hanover.
With the VW Fun Cup 2020 season ready to commence its reduced calendar of five rounds, Giti Tire has confirmed that it is maintaining its position as Official Tyre Partner. The tyre manufacturer will also participate, racing its fully livered GT Radial car. Ellis Hadley, senior test engineer at Giti Tire, will line-up on the grid alongside seasoned racing enthusiasts from the GT Radial Performance Centre (GTPC) network. The VW Fun Cup will start with a One Hour Sprint Race and a Four Hour Endurance Race on 8 August at Snetterton, before hitting Thruxton, Silverstone and the season finale at Oulton Park on 17 October. All cars in the competition run on GitiCompete GTR2 tyres.
On Wednesday (July 1, 2020), the public prosecutor and Police searched various Continental locations in Hanover, Frankfurt and Regensburg. The searches are related to investigations into the so-called defeat device used by Volkswagen in its diesel engine emissions management system.
Following the news that Volkswagen Group is planning to temporarily suspend production at its European plants due to the deepening impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, David Leggett, Automotive Editor at GlobalData, commented:
With 2019 annual sales of 88.4 billion euros, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand’s figures were 4.5 per cent higher than the previous year. As a result, Dr. Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG described 2019 as “a very successful year for the Volkswagen Group”. However, he went on to describe 2020 as “a very difficult year”:
The coronavirus clearly presents a human tragedy, but it is also affecting international economies and manufacturing in particular. Following our coverage of the impact on the tyre business, various market analysts have been assessing the impact on the automotive industry.
The short story is that internal OE demand is likely to be much harder hit than external exports. According to NBC, China could suffer the loss of 1 million vehicles worth of production due to the suspension of production for at least an extra week in the so-called “motor city” of Wuhan, which is located at the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak and has a population of 11 million people.
Three Vredestein models have gained approval as original equipment tyres for the latest generation of Volkswagen’s perennially popular Golf. The Golf 8 will be available with the Vredestein Sportrac 5 in size 195/65R15. Buyers opting for winter tyres can receive their Golf equipped with the Vredestein Wintrac Pro in the same dimension or the Snowtrac 5 in size 205/55R16.
Continental tyres have been chosen as original equipment for the new Volkswagen ID.3. The electric hatchback will be fitted with the EcoContact 6 in 18- and 19-inch sizes. Buyers selecting winter tyres will receive the WinterContact TS 850 P. The summer and winter tyres supplied for the ID.3 will feature ContiSeal puncture protection technology.
Northvolt has raised US$1 billion of capital to build Europe’s first homegrown gigafactory for lithium-ion battery cells – Northvolt Ett, in Skellefteå, Sweden. At the same time, in cooperation with the Volkswagen Group, the company also announced plans to establish a second gigafactory with an intended location in Lower Saxony, Germany. The news of both factories was announced on 12 June 2019.
The Volkswagen Group and further European partners are joining forces to form the European Battery Union (EBU) with a view to forging ahead with battery research throughout Europe. The new consortium is to be led by the Volkswagen Group and the Swedish battery producer Northvolt. The joint research activities of the European Battery Union will cover the entire battery value stream – from raw materials through cell technology to recycling. The prime objective is to accumulate much broader know-how on battery cell production.
Giti Tire’s United States manufacturing facility in South Carolina has completed an audit by Volkswagen to supply two tyre sizes for the 2019 Volkswagen Passat. The plant can now officially begin producing the All-Season GitiComfort A1 as an original equipment fitment for the Passat in sizes 235/45R18 95H and 235/40R19 92H. Production commences in the first quarter of the year; these tyres are the US plant’s first original equipment supplied tyres.
Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Company have will partner in the production of light commercial vehicles after announcing the first formal agreements in “a broad alliance”. The alliance does not involve cross-ownership between the two companies.
Bridgestone provided more than 120 new original equipment fitments in the EMEA region during 2018, an increase of more than 30 per cent. The fitments are spread across more than 40 different models from 15 different manufacturers. The tyre manufacturer, which is the largest in the world, says the commitment of such brands as Toyota, Mercedes, and Porsche, shows the original equipment manufacturers’ appreciation for its investment in research and development.
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